The Isle of Wight council’s careers specialist service has received national recognition for its work.
Island Futures has once again been accredited to the matrix Standard, confirming the high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) services it provides to young people across the Island.
Andre: I’d like to congratulate the staff on their achievement
Congratulating the team on their achievement, Cllr Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for children’s services, said,
“I’m thrilled that Island Futures has once again achieved this standard.
“This serves to assure young people, parents / carers, schools / colleges, and employers that the careers advice offered by us is impartial, independent, of the highest quality and relevant to supporting young people to make positive choices for their future learning and employment.
“I’d like to congratulate the staff on their achievement and really encourage anyone requiring any support with choosing a career, training route or life goals to get in touch with the service.”
Supporting young people
Island Futures provides independent information, advice and guidance to support young people to participate in education, employment and training.
The service works within the majority of the Island’s secondary schools and is available for unemployed young people aged 16 to 19 to access through community based centres across the Island.
The assessment, which was carried out earlier this month, takes place every three years, and involves interviews with young people who use the service, staff and partner organisations.
What they are doing right
In their final report, the matrix Standard assessor highlighted what the service was doing right, including:
- Information, advice and guidance is highly professional, well considered, planned and organised.
- The service is delivered by qualified, skilled and experienced staff committed to providing the best service possible.
- Significant investment in resources to support young people.
- The service has responded well to the increasing complexity of needs, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.
Walker: Testament to the hard work of all involved
Phillip Walker, county education manager, skills and participation, said,
“We are extremely proud of this achievement because it is testament to the hard work of all involved in developing and providing our high quality IAG services.
“It also recognises our commitment to continuous quality improvement and to working closely with learners, employers, partners, and staff while supporting them to identify and achieve their goals.”
The assessment was carried out by an accredited assessor on behalf of the Growth Company, contracted by the Department for Education to administer the matrix Standard.
Chapman: Designed to benchmark organisations against best practice
Roger Chapman, head of the matrix Service for The Growth Company, said,
“This is a fantastic achievement for Island Futures and I would like to congratulate the team on their success.
“We believe that at the heart of high-quality advice and support services are strong leadership, excellent service and a focus on continuous improvement, all underpinned by effective use of the resources available.
“The matrix Standard is designed to benchmark organisations against best practice in these areas.
“With their accreditation success, Island Futures is working to provide the best possible support to young people on the Isle of Wight.”
For more information about the matrix Standard please visit the Website.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
Image: steve harvey under CC BY 2.0
